


Hunting X For X Bruises

by ShimmyShamWithTheFam



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:17:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9770039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShimmyShamWithTheFam/pseuds/ShimmyShamWithTheFam
Summary: Summary:  An AU where the bruises and cuts of a soulmate appear on the skin. Gon becomes increasingly worried about his soulmate as he gets tattooed with new marks everyday, and hopes to find the person soon. Killua, on the other hand, has been brainwashed by his family to believe that the spots on his skin are a curse from the person who plans to target and kill him, as they believe learning about a soulmate would make him soft during jobs.





	1. Prologue: Marks X In The X Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~!  
> Thanks for reading this! I am super excited to finally be on AO3!  
> Please don't be afraid to give any kind of feedback, whether it be positive or negative!  
> I hope you all enjoy!

Gon stared pitifully into his mirror. His lips pressed into the thinnest line, tracing his fingertips along the blue spots that randomly tattooed his figure. They didn’t hurt him, not the blue ones. No, those dark splotches weren’t his; the grey ones from falling happily in the dirt in the middle of the woods were his.

Gon worried everyday for the body that received the real bruises. He imagined various scenarios throughout his days. What if the other person was just really clumsy? What if the person was just running happily through the woods like Gon did, but he fell way more. Gon would try to push the darker thoughts far into the back of his brain, but sometimes they would surface, and the young teen would wince when images of fists and tight whips collided forcefully into unidentified skin.

Every night, he would poke at the visually painful marks that scattered about his skin. He wondered how long the particularly nasty one right above his left thigh would last. Probably two weeks; that’s how long that last one was there.

But more than anything, Gon imagined meeting his special someone. He so eagerly awaited being able to tenderly match their marks up together and explain how each mysterious spot came into existence. If his significant other was truly clumsy, then he’d wrap them up in bubble wrap and never let them go, too afraid to let them feel any more pain.

If his significant other was being abused…

He wanted to tear them away from their abuser immediately and hug them and tell them that they’re safe.

He just hoped the latter would never have to happen…

 

XXX

 

Killua stared nonchalantly into the mirror. He had gained at least five new bruises today. Each of them ached and stung. He winced as his fingers feathered by a particularly nasty patch of sensitive skin located just above his left thigh.

But there was one his eyes were glued to; one that was discolored compared to the others. Instead of the deep, piercing blue that the rest of his skin sported, it only left a gentle grey.

His stare was ominous amongst the mark.

Killua couldn’t help but feel disgust for it; to be connected to someone who, in the end, was preparing to kill him.

The silverette hated the idea that he was following what his family was teaching him. He was bored of being an assassin, bored of killing. He wanted something more, but he was also very conflicted. If he didn’t continue training, then one day the person with the matching bruises would find him and try to kill him.  
And if he didn’t continue training, he wouldn’t be strong enough to fight back.

He couldn’t let his killer find him…. Or maybe he should just go out and try to find them? Kill them first before they can kill him. Then he could roam freely without the worry that someone was going to succeed in killing him.

…Nah, maybe not.

He should just keep training under the assassin family until he feels equipped enough to handle the situation on his own.  
Once he finished, he’d be free from the Zoldyck curse…

 

XXX

 

Mito raised her eyebrow as Gon joined her and Abe at the dinner table. He grinned, knowing exactly what her eyes were scanning. “Gon, are those yours?” Her eyes sparked with concern, but she knew all too well what the answer was.  
Gon shrugged.

“No, they’re not. Mine are the grey ones,” he told his aunt simply and pointed to a small grey patch on his forearm. Mito shook her head before placing the last bowl of food gently on the table. A small silence filled the atmosphere as they each bowed their heads to say grace.  
Afterwards, Gon scooped his fork into the mashed potatoes that were placed generously upon his plate. He glanced repeatedly at Mito, mixing and brewing a series of questions in his mind. When he settled, he began asking almost immediately.

“Hey aunt Mito,”

“Yes, Gon?”

“What do you think would cause bruises like this?” His question left his lips effortlessly.

Mito gazed at Gon for a long time, trying to figure out the correct answer to give him. She ran her fingers through orange strands the slicked back gracefully, outlining her beautifully aged face.

“I'm… not quite sure.” Was the only thing she could really muster out. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what the answer was. It’s just that she didn’t really know how to answer him.

Mito worried everyday for the poor soul who’s skin matched Gon’s. She knew they were facing assault after painful assault. There was no way happy skips through the woods would cause such deep and severe marks. Even Gon, who is known for tripping often on his adventures, would not come home as tattered as that. Whoever they were, she hoped they had at least some sort of small light of happiness. However, she felt relieved that they were meant to be with Gon, as the boy was known for being entirely open and happy towards everyone and anyone.

They’d heal in no time with Gon’s love.

“Do you think they’re in danger?” the amber-eyed boy continued.

“I think they’re fine for now, Gon. Eat your dinner.” She sighed.

“Mito, how can I find them?” He ignored her last statement.

“Find them? Gon, there’s not really much of a way to locate them. You just meet them.”

Gon pursed his lips, wanting desperately to find a solution for himself. This person was practically growing and harvesting bruises everyday… “But… if I wait to ‘just meet them,’ they’ll continue to get hurt more…” he whined.

“I know Gon, I wish we could help them, too. But we really don’t have many options. Now please eat your dinner.”

“But-”

“Gon,” Mito stared sternly at him. “You have ten seconds to drop it and eat.”

The raven haired boy sighed. Normally, the boy was extremely stubborn. If he wanted something, he wouldn’t stop until he got it. But it was hard with Mito. As the woman who he considered his mother, she had the certain superiority to cut him down from his stubborn high horse. Well, most of the time…  
Just because he couldn’t talk about it at the table anymore doesn’t mean he won’t think about it… He was guaranteed to bring up the topic again…


	2. Escape X By A X Sliver

Killua's mother had called him to her living quarters. This could only ever be for three reasons:

He was in trouble.

He was about to get an earful of the usual “heir to family business” spiel.

He had a job.

The young assassin had a relative idea as to what her topic would be, considering the events that had taken place the night before. Most likely, the third option would not even be within her train of thought.

Although he knew what she wanted, he didn't feel like listening to what she had to say at all. Maybe he should just skip out on her. It’s not like he hadn’t done so in the past, and having a few minutes to himself in the woods of the Zoldyck estate would be far more entertaining than listening to his mother speak.

But alas, his mother had gotten smart, and posted butlers all throughout the path to her room. Each suited body kept a careful eye on their young master; ready to detain the teen if need be. She had specifically ordered them to keep him in line as much as physically possible, although it’s not as if he couldn’t handle the butlers. They were all strong of course; but they still needed vigorous training if they ever hoped to maintain a position as a butler of the prestigious assassin family. But Killua knew they were a fresh batch of employees, and they still had much to learn. His stone cobalt eyes were not blind to the slightest gleam of innocence they still had left in their eyes. It would be broken in about another two to three days. The orders they had now were probably just a test.

Killua arrived to the tall mahogany doors. The blockades had no intricate carvings or brands, just simple concaves into the wood. They had been polished almost every day since they arrived in the Zoldyck mansion almost a month ago.

“Hey,” Killua yelled, hoping he sounded as bored as what he already felt before even entering her quarters. “I’m here.”

The doors creaked open slowly, revealing the spacious room that hid inside. Her living space was nothing short of the prim and proper showcase that she always presented herself to be. To the left, stood a butler, but one Killua favored quite a bit; Gotoh. The butler had been working within the ties of the Zoldyck family for years, and more than once had proven to be a strong ally for them.

The majority of the room was filled with a bed covered in layers of draperies and fine deep red velvets. Killua never quite understood her taste in beddings. He was always satisfied with a simple thin blanket and a nice, fluffy pillow. It was probably just another way of showcasing her status to herself and any of the few other souls in existence that could venture into the room.

Killua heard his mother’s voice appear from his right. His eyes trailed the voice, and found his mother perched in the chair that placed at the side the bed. It was an intricate lounge chair; matching the shades of red of the velvets that outlined her bed with plush cushions to comfort her. Killua wanted to barf from all the rich silks that filled his eyesight. “Kil, is that any way to enter your mother’s quarters?”

Killua shrugged. “What is it?” He wanted to cut to the chase and leave as soon as possible.

The woman inhaled deeply, “I hear you tried to run outside of the estate last night.” her voice rose.

The addressed boy slouched with his hands deep in the pockets of his shorts. “And if I did?”

“What were your reasons?” She opened her elegant feathered fan and waved out lightly next to her porcelain face.

“Nothing in particular, really.” Killua huffed.

“It is not permitted for you to leave the estate unless you have a job or you are escorted, you know these rules very well.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever. Is that all?” He turned around and was ready to exit the room.

Kikyo’s voice boomed loudly into his ears. “Killua!”

He found himself furrowing his eyebrows before looking back at her in annoyance. He didn’t get the chance to answer before his mother sounded off once more.

“You are the heir to the family business; running away like that will ruin your career! You will not continue to disobey the rules like this! I will not permit it!”

Killua found himself staring at her angrily. He had frankly had enough of her constant nagging and blabbing. He could care less about being the heir to the assassin throne. Frankly, he was tired of killing and he was tired of being controlled all the time. His eyes snapped violently, glazing over dangerously. “I could honestly care less,” he began.  
Kikyo gnashed her teeth together; partly out of pure love for the ominous look in her son’s cold orbs, partly because she was furious at his defiance. Her mixed emotions caused a rupture within; spitting a bladed fan against the window behind her. The contact smashing the glass in sharp pieces and scattering on the polished tile.

“Kil-” She had begun reaching out to him, but stopped herself. She received a delightfully spiteful glare from her young son. He was currently reaching for one of the shards of glass from the floor.

“Gotoh…” his eyes trailed toward the butler on the other side of the room. The faithful butler tensed at the spitting mention of his name. Gotoh had been preparing to knock the young Zoldyck unconscious if he became too violent against his mother. “Don’t interfere.”

Fingers curled around the sharp piece of glass, which bit deep into his skin. If he would have grabbed the shard in the same way about six to eight years ago, the child would have yelped out in pain. But he was used to pain. He still felt it, but it didn’t pierce his nerves like it used to. He could at least thank his family for that much.  
His mother prepared for what she could only assume to be an onslaught. Her son, she realized, was at a blossoming rebellious age. She knew it was bound to happen eventually, but for him to be this deep was both exciting and terrifying. He was becoming quite unpredictable, and this was what made her realize that maybe a fair amount of discipline was due.

It was perfectly normal to have a rebellious phase.

It was not perfectly normal for it to get this far.

Killua knew that what he was getting ready to do was probably not the brightest idea he’d conjured up. To attack the woman who raised him was laughable in his mind. It meant that she had years of experience on him and furthermore, knew his strengths and weaknesses. But he reminded himself that he was tired; tired of being used and tired of being controlled. In this moment he figured, stupid or not, he was done.

He was done with everything.

“Mother,” he began to pace rhythmically around, creating an illusion of clones about himself. His father taught him this technique, and although his mother had never bothered learning it, she knew very well how it worked. “I guess I’ll at least give you an apology.”

His armed left hand lunged towards her heart, knowing full well that it wouldn’t make contact with it’s target. Another fan held by feminine fingers swooped in front of her body, blocking the attack and capturing the makeshift blade within her fabric decoration. It was immediately closed and twisted, causing the shard of glass to slice deep into Killua’s hand before being roughly flung from his grip.

White hair flashed behind her, connecting a sharp kick into her back. Killua’s mother breathed in thickly, trying to capture the oxygen that was lost during his attack. She jumped forward and quickly put distance between the two of them. “Kil, stop this at once!!”

Killua’s smile what devilish, his eyes sunken more and more into the very darkness his family had created. “Why? Don’t you like what you’ve created, mother? Take a good look, because you’re not gonna see it for a very long time.” He gripped another piece of glass from the floor with the same bloodied hand as before, letting it nest numbingly in the already cut flesh.

Once again, he sped toward the woman, elongating his fingernails on his right hand and began slashing them at her violently. Kikyo quickly dodged his clawed attempts, but was quickly backed into the farthest left corner of her bedroom. By the time she realized she was backed into a corner, it was too late for her to notice her position. As soon as she connected against the cold wall, Killua brought the jagged shard and stabbed it into the bottom of her jaw. A piercing scream escaped the lips of his mother.  
Killua jumped back and staggered a bit, even surprised at himself for what he had just done. But he realized that now that he had gotten this far, he should finish what he started. He was not interested in killing her; just interested in escaping.

“Gotoh, grab the nurse and have her treated. Do not send anyone after me!”

“... As you wish.” Gotoh kept a straight face as he proceeded to contact a nurse to attend to the now wounded Kikyo Zoldyck.

Killua heard blood curdling laughter behind him as the assassin exited quickly and headed straight for his older brother Milluki’s room. He needed to find information quickly and escape before his father or grandfather caught wind of the situation at hand. He knew they were both on jobs, but when they got a call about a runaway son and an injured mother, they’d be home in an instance. ‘So much for waiting and getting stronger…’

The small silverette jumped down the flights of steps leading to the bedroom located on the first floor of the mansion. He cut the corners quickly, and once he landed in front of his brother’s door, he pounded the door open. “Milluki! I need you to tell me a way to get information as quickly as possible! Tell me now!” the demands flew out of his quivering mouth.

The plump belly of his brother spun in his computer chair; his slanted eyes locked on his inconvenient younger brother. “Kil, I’m busy,” slanted eyes settled back onto his many computer monitors. “Go away-”

The older brother did not get a chance to finish his demand, for a sliver of glass came pulsing into his left thigh, causing him to shriek loudly. Make that a runaway son, an injured mother, and a mixture of the two.

“Tell me, now. Before I drill this glass into your thick skull.”

“Y-you brat…” he huffed, inhaling sharply but trying not to move, as his side felt entirely too tender. Killua immediately removed the sharp shard and aimed it for his brother’s head, knowing that his brother would be too cowardly to fight back and instantly give in to him.

“Okay, okay! If you want access to unknown information, you gotta become a hunter!” He whimpered meekly. “The exam is said to be super hard and a rookie passing is nearly impossible! But the rewards a hunter gets is said to be well worth the trouble! That’s the best I can give you!”

Killua pushed away from his brother. His feet carried him to the doorway as he yelled a quick “Sounds fun! Thanks, bro!” He never looked back to see if his heavy set brother replied back.

Now his mind was made up. He was going to take the exam and become a hunter. Then he would find the person who was responsible for the cursed bruises that were not dealt to his own body.

And he’d kill them.

After that, he wasn’t quite sure.

  
But he was positive about one thing; he’d live his own life from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been curious of the sequence of events that led to Killua's stabbing his mother and brother.  
> But leaving it out of context was also pretty funny! There are going to be a lot of chapters that focus on Killua's journey into the Hunter Exam, so I hope you're prepared!


	3. Promises X and X Kisses

Gon perched silently in the large tree rooted in the shallow depths of the lake. He shaded himself from the dangerous rays of the sun with a makeshift leaf hat, which cut to fit the shape of his head as many a leafs before it’s time. The fishing pole he sported bobbed a ball at the end of a line, which waited patiently for prey to snag it. The forest dwelling human was well accustomed to long periods of waits, and would spend hours at a time lost deep in his own thoughts. His mind swirled around aimlessly, but many thoughts would cause him to take a small glance at miscellaneous marks on his skin.

Today, he had decided, would be the day. The boy woke up in horror that morning with a wide bruised gash along the palm of his left hand. He was tired of waking up to the dark spots every morning. Yes, today, he had decided, he would tell Mito he wanted to take the Hunter exam.

He had heard all about it from his great grandmother; how his father had left Whale Island at an early age to take the hunter exam. Mito had been furious with him leaving her behind all alone. Gon knew aunt Mito harbored harsh feelings for her cousin, and it wasn’t exactly that she hated him. She was just upset that he would never bother to visit or contact them. Even when his father, Ging, had visited years later after he had originally departed, he had only stayed long enough to leave Gon in Mito’s care.  
Gon’s great grandmother had explained to the bright eyed raven that his father had become a hunter because he wanted to find something. There was no specification, and Gon was not entirely sure if anyone really knew exactly what Ging really wanted to find.

But Gon could at least vouch for himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to become a hunter so that he could find his soulmate and figure out just what they had been experiencing all this time. Gon wanted to find them, and ask them why there was a sliver of deep cobalt that dragged across his left hand, why his thigh looked as if it might have been beaten down to the bone, why everyday he woke up and counted the number of new bruises in the collection on his sun kissed skin.  
Chapped lips curled into a determined smile as his grip tightened on the old fishing rod. “I’ll find you…” his eyes shimmered when a tremendous tug drowned the red bobber into the lake water. The teen grunted, pulling and flexing. “I’ll take the exam-“ his voice rose happily. Gon pulled the rod and trailed around his tree perch; his leaf hat long gone when the tug had startled his body into action. “-and I’ll find information about you! And I’ll find you!” The excited boy finally managed to haul the enormous fish out from the depths of the water.

It was quite a gross looking fish really. The water creature had large white eyes with a dense, soulless pupil in the center of each. The mouth of the fist was lined with ivory jagged teeth, presumably for ripping into tender flesh. However, the most significant feature of the fish that set him apart from the rest were the large, almost insect like legs located at the belly. Similar to the fingers on a crane, the king of the lake was known for using it’s abnormal legs to grab ahold of a meal; making escape entirely impossible. However, all eight legs were completely useless on land.

Gon tossed the body of his prize onto to the ground far below him, and quickly set about packing his belongings to venture back to the bar that Aunt Mito dutifully managed everyday.

“Aunt Mito!! Aunt Mito~!” Aa giant blob of blue seemed to be calling out to the woman from far down the dirt path. It bounced up and down as it steadily came closer and closer to the young red headed woman. Hearing the calls from her young relative was relieving; she kept it to herself that seeing a giant fish with bug legs bouncing faster in her direction would probably have caused her to faint.

As Gon finally finished his approach, Mito spread the tips of her lips into a radiant smile. “Aunt Mito, I caught the king just like I said I would!” The giant body slammed down, finally revealing the small boy who was about a third of the size of the monstrous lake creature.

“I see that,” Mito chuckled. She faced back towards him for a moment, placing a pin on the freshly clean sheet she was hanging on the line to dry. “So now that you’ve finally caught him, what’s your big plan?” Are you gonna tell me or is it still some big secret?”

Gon had decided not to tell anyone his plan until he was successful in capturing the king of the lake; which not even five grown men who’d been fishing their entire life could manage to do together. The only one who had ever accomplished this feat was his father, Ging. Gon made it perfectly clear for himself: prove that you’re strong enough to take the hunter exam to yourself and everyone else. Once that’s been done, he’ll be able to take it.

His chest expanded proudly as he stood as high as was physically possible. “I’m gonna take the Hunter exam!”

“WHA-” The clip Mito had in her hand snapped from between her fingers. The towel she had been hanging over the line now slipped off, blowing in the wind. The teenage boy lunged out for it, and he successfully caught, he couldn’t manage to successfully dodge the basket of clothing that he tripped over, which now spread clothing all about the dirty ground. Gon laughed lightly, realizing he would be forced to wash all the clothes that he just dirtied in his attempt to capture one piece of fabric.  
In an attempt to make light of the situation, he held the towel he had caught out to Mito, who had been staring at him with a rather unusual look. Gon wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but he could feel the tension that began to brew around his caregiver.

“Ah, Aunt Mi-”

“Why?” She cut him off.

“Huh?”

“Why do you want to take the exam?” Her fingers tangled into the skirt of her dress.

“I…” Gon began, confused as to why she seemed angry at the thought. Sure his father had left to take the exam around his age but, Gon was at least giving a warning. His father just left on a whim, but Gon was telling her. Gon would never leave her without telling her… “I want to find them.” He pointed to the mark on his left hand. “I’m going to take the exam so that I can gain access to the information that only hunters can. And then I’ll find them.” His voice never wavered.

“Gon…” Mito’s eyes dig deep into his. She was silent for a while, then finally spoke softly. “So this has nothing to do with Ging?”

The boy shrugged. “Not really… I am a bit curious as to why he had decided to be a hunter instead of taking care of me. But I’m grateful for your care over his and now I just need to know that this person is in a safe place.”

“You have to promise me something then…” Mito sighed.

“Anything.” There was no hesitation.

“When you find them, you have to come back home safe with them.”

Gon’s face lit up, his grin practically filling his whole face. “I won’t let you down, Aunt Mito!” His jump pressed himself onto Mito’s stomach, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. “I promise!”

Gon had one week before his departure. Aunt Mito had continued becoming tense as the days continued forward. Gon would have focused more on how she was acting of his mind wasn’t occupied elsewhere.

Gon had noticed the morning after he had caught the monstrous fish that there were no new bruises or marks. None. And when he realized this, part of him was ecstatic. It meant the person wasn’t getting hurt. However, he also felt a bit fearful for them, and was even a bit skeptical as this happened the day after it was confirmed he’d be taking the exam.

Why would they gain bruises everyday then suddenly just stop? Where they in some critical condition? Gon knew from other pairs of soul mates on Whale Island that if one person was severely ill or had a broken bone, the other person would be fine. The only thing that the two spirits shared were marks of the skin.  
Which meant that there was a possibility that this person could be in a far worse condition than just scrapes of the skin.

Gon had to find them no matter what.

The morning Gon left sent him off with a soft breeze. The sky was littered with soft clouds, and the temperature was meant for a lazy day; warm, but comfy.  
But Gon didn’t have time for a lazy day. He was staying his journey.

But not before saying goodbye to the woman he held closest to his heart.

He gave her a hug suitable to squeeze the life of someone, but not the love.

After they pulled apart from each other, Mito held her pinky i out to him. “You have to keep your promise.” She said sternly.

“Yup!” He locked his pinky with hers as they began the ritual of bouncing their hands while singing “pinky swear made! Whoever breaks their promise has to swallow a thousand needles!” Their thumbs lifted pressing into each other.

“Sealed with a kiss!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gon is my sunshine child, and I will always love him <3  
> I hope you all enjoyed a little bit of sweet memories with a bit of a twist in story line!


	4. Animals X Love X Hunters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of a fun twist in this chapter that I really enjoyed the concept of! :)

Killua tapped his finger repeatedly on the table of a cafe he lingered in close to closing time. Many of the employees, he had noticed, had been whispering amongst themselves. It seemed that it was unusual to see a child eating on his own at a restaurant, not to mention the fact that it was after dark. His server had asked him if he was waiting on someone to join him, to which he replied in subtle amusement that he was by himself. Eventually, the server sighed, took his order and left him to sip at the glass of water at his side. Killua ignored the whispers and stares. He had better thing to focus his attention on.

Killua had two major problems to figure out in less than two weeks. The hunter exam itself would be held in two weeks, and finding out how to get there was one of the two problems at hand. However, the larger and more pressing issue was applying for the exam. Since he was only twelve years old, it was required for a guardian to sign off permission, as the exam was known to be dangerous. In fact, the application even warned that in almost every exam held, at least one person lost their life during the process of the examination. If Killua would have known what going on a fieldtrip with a class was like, he definitely would have compared the rules to the simplicity of a “permission slip”. Of course, Killua had tried forging a signature, but the application was almost immediately sent back declined. The assassin child had figured that the association, with all of it’s ties and connections, had reached his family. It was probably a safe assumption that the application had fallen into his mother’s hands; who would have rejected it without a second thought. His second plan was to get someone else to act as their guardian, but he realized that this idea would have the same result as his first attempt.  
The server, in all of his blond, concerned glory, appeared with a large chunk of chocolate pie with a side of vanilla ice cream. Killa’s face perked up when the food came into his sight. If there was one thing that could get him out of a miserable mood, it was chocolate.

A spoon scooped into the soft dessert, filling his mouth deliciously. There was a sensational melting taste of the chocolate in his mouth, which he savored for every second he could before wanting another bite. The boy could have admitted to anyone still lingering within the cafe that he was tasting the textbook definition of heaven.  
After scarfing down half of his plate, the manager politely stepped her way over to his small corner table. “Excuse me…. Sir,” their voice fumbled at the word “sir.” Killua’s eyebrows raised with a slight grin, wondering what the woman had in her mind to tell him.

“Mmm?” he focused down on shoveling a not so large chunk of ice cream into his mouth.

“We have passed closing hours, sir. I’m afraid we must close up the restaurant for the evening.” Killua stared down at his plate, longingly. He wanted to finish his treat, but he couldn’t take it along with him. It would be a hassle to carry a box around.

“Sure, alright. Just gimme a sec,” His hand waved her off, as if to say “go away, I’m busy.” A vein seemed to have popped out visibly from the woman from his unintentional rude behavior. The poor woman, after all, just wanted to go home from a long day of work. Nonetheless, Killua ignored her standing presence and picked up his plate. In three gigantic bites, he finished the dessert and sighed out in satisfaction. “Here!” An empty plate was pushed into the woman’s hands as he stood up. He placed an inappropriate amount of extra money for the food on the table, to which the manager eyed in utter confusion.

But Killua paid no mind; it wasn’t important.

He had more pressing issues to deal with.

The city Killua had managed to fly to via aircraft seemed well accustomed to a divided line of poverty versus well off. Or rather, the “well off” was more “they could pay for necessities and still have a bit left just in case.” As he walked farther and farther away from the center, he noticed most of the buildings were not completely in ruins, but most of them were outlined in planked windows and haphazardly stacked bricks replaced old ones that had been broken away. Killua wondered if the state of the buildings were really because of the poverty line or if there was more to it. Even with the limited resources available to the people, for multiple houses to have broken brick walls seemed a bit unusual.

Killua decided that he needed to find a stable place to stay for the night. And the tenants of the shabby buildings were most likely not going to be welcoming a strange young teen into their house willingly. He’d either have to find a hotel or look for a stable alley way to spend his night. Or maybe he could find a steady tile roof to sit upon for the evening. A hotel would definitely be ideal…

An indistinguishable whine broke the boy’s train of thought. What was that? There wasn’t a person to be seen in any direction. The whine broke the silence once more, which Killua figured might be a dog. The whimpers seemed to be coming from behind him. His eyes turned over his shoulder, looking back behind him. There was a small pup shivering and smashing it’s nose into a small pile of litter on the ground. Killua paced over to the small puppy, and bent down at it’s side. The puppy would have looked gorgeous had it not been covered in a few layers of dirt. Killua figured it might have had white fur at one point, back before it was scavenging on it’s own.

“I take it you want something to eat, huh?” the silverette held out a hand for the animal to sniff, making its judgement to trust him. It reminded him of the puppy he had years ago. He had named it Wolf, and was one of the few pleasures he remembers having as a younger child. Unfortunately, his dog had contracted rabies, and his father had told him that the dog had no choice but to be put down. A flash of his own small friend’s blood staining his hands made him grimace.

The small puppy barked weakly at him. “I’m sorry, I really don’t have anything good for you to eat.” His hand scratched the dog’s ear, hoping that it might be enough. When he stretched back up to his full height, the small animal barked once more at him. “I hope you find something good to eat.” he replied.

He was almost all the way turned around when he felt a tug on his shorts. “Huh?” The puppy ran passed him while yapping happily at him. He couldn’t help but grin light heartedly. “So you wanna play, huh? Alright.” He ran after the pup, his laugh bursting out of him before he could think to contain it in the night. Both young lives raced through the halls of the city. The puppy was excitedly huffing out woofs every time Killua passed it, just for it run harder to gain distance between them again. It was such an exciting moment for him, he hardly noticed that he had ran to the outskirts of the town.

There was a small shed located behind a house. The door was lightly propped open, with more whimpers and whines from within the small structure. He peered through the door, finding a mother dog with two other pups at her side. Killua eyed the small puppy that led him to his family. “Wow…” he gasped. “I guess it’s alright then, huh? For me to stay with you guys tonight?”

A hearty yap from the mother suggested that his stay was welcome. He hoped he wasn’t actually intruding upon someone else’s shed that just happened to be occupied by a family of dogs. It would be an awkward explanation to the person who opened the door to see a teenage boy keeping house in their shed.

Killua curled up in the farthest corner of the shed, warmed by the bodies of the dogs at his side. For the first time, Killua felt comfortable enough to sleep without worry.

 

XXX

 

The morning shined brightly in through the crack of the door, coaxing Killua to rise from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes sleepily when he sat up, realizing that he was no longer covered in a blanket of fur. Where’d they go? His mind wondered, groggily. He briefly wondered if they had decided to go out to look for food.

Oh, well, I guess I better get moving, He decided. However his thoughts were infiltrated by the sound of high pitched playful howls from outside. His grin intensified and he burst through the doors only to find a man leaning against the tree rooted next to the tattered shed. His heart skipped dangerously as they locked eye contact. Killua went on guard immediately. The man however, stayed perfectly calm whilst a puppy rubbed their head into his hand.

Before Killua could prepare to take action, the man asked him “Did you sleep well?” His voice was entirely gruff against the morning.

The addressed boy tensed his eyes over the man. He scanned carefully, but noticed no weapons. But the man wore many layers and sported a raggy hat. There were many places to hide a weapon on the human body, and Killua knew all too well from personal experience that it was just as easy to convert the body into a weapon as well.  
“It seems these dogs really like you.” the man continued. The pup in his lap licked happily at the stubble on his chin.

From the structure of his body, the man didn’t seem to be all too tall, but his facial structure suggested that he was probably well into his thirties. From the bits of hair that he could see poking miscellaneously through his hat, it seemed that the older male possessed black hair, which was noticeably greasy. His thick strands probably hadn’t been washed in over a week.

“I guess so.” Killua answered consciously.

“You’re an overly suspecting kid.” The man gestured to the mother sitting upright. “I get not trusting a stranger, but you have enough distance between the two of us to run if I try anything. At least sit down, there. The mom’s getting uptight with all that tension you’re brewing.”

He was right. The mother was eyeing Killua, no longer a peaceful stare like last night. Killua obliged to the small male and leaned against the shed.

“So what are you doing by yourself?” The man started.

“None of your business.”

A snort followed Killua’s bitter reply. “You don’t entertain much, do you?”

“Never needed to. What do you want?”

“Well, I was the one who originally housed that shed. When I got back early this morning, there was another body in there. I figured I wouldn’t disturb you.”

Killua’s eyes widened. How had he not woken up at the new presence? Normally, he’d wake up instantaneously at the slightest movement of a new soul. How had he hidden himself? “Sorry,” he faked. “One of the pups led me here.”

“Eh, I’m not mad. But you seem to be a bright kid. How old are you?” Killua tensed at the sudden question. He felt a little creeped out. Not only could the man not hold a coherent conversation without changing the subject after every sentence, but he was asking such a personal question.

“Why the hell should I tell you?” Killua spat.

“Have you ever heard of a group of people called ‘hunters’?” The man changed again. That caught Killua’s attention.

“… And if I have? What’s it to you?”

“Well, like I said, you’re a bright kid. And this is a little known fact, but good hunters are usually loved by animals. The applications are due soon. If you don’t have any other plans, I suggest taking it.”

Killua finally burst out laughing at him. How ironic was it, that this man was telling him to do the very thing he was setting out to do. “It’s funny you say that,” he grinned. “That’s currently what I’m trying to do. Unfortunately, I’ve been having problems submitting my application. Since I’m underage and my parents are… not exactly accepting of the idea of me taking the exam. I actually ran away from home.” Killua suddenly felt entirely comfortable around the man.

“Sounds like you’ve had quite the adventure. Well, it just so happens that I might be able to help you.” The older male smirked.

“Really?!” Killua leaned forward. “How?! I don’t think you’d be able to sign for me. I tried to forge a signature and they declined it. I don’t really think you’d be able to act as my guardian.”

The man bellowed out a huge laugh. “No, I don’t think I’d want to, either.”

Killua huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean, old man?”

“Nothing, nothing. Anyways, another little known secret about hunters is this: a hunter over the single star ranking has the power to immediately pass any applicant to take part in the exam. It just so happens that I’m a double star hunter. So if you’d like, I can-”

“Yes!” Killua shouted. He realized he had gotten overly excited, so he cleared his throat and calmed himself. “Ah, yes. I’d like that a lot.”

The man finally stood up, revealing that he was only a couple inches taller than Killua. The young boy snorted at the man’s short stature. Killua finally stood to meet him and brought out the application from his pocket.

The man pulled open the form, and entered in his information. Before closing it out. The ding from the electronic piece confirmed that the application was approved, and that Killua was now officially an applicant for the exam. “There,” The short male confirmed.

“Thank you!” Killua’s smile was entirely radiant and sincere. This was an incredibly convenient turn of events.

“Also, you never answered my question.”

“What question?” Killua raised an eyebrow.

“How old are you?” the repetition of the question made Killua frown, but he decided to answer truthfully.

“I’m twelve.” He answered triumphantly. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and Killua realized that the man smelled as awful as he looked. He held back the comments, as the man was nice enough to pass his application. It was a bit of a surprise that a man like this could really hold such a high position.

“Ah, I knew it! You’re the same age as my son! … I think.”

“You think?”

“Well, I haven’t seen my son since he was a baby. It’s hard to keep track after the years go by.” The man shrugged, before starting to walk away.

“You haven’t seen him since he was a baby? You sound like a pretty damn terrible dad.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I probably am. Probably.” After that, the man had decided to take off. “Good luck kid.”

Killua smiled. He knew he had no room to judge in terms of terrible family connections. However, he found the man to be quite amusing. He also felt a little bit of sympathy for the old guy’s son. But overall, he thought about what his son must be like.

They’re the same age, and if his son was even a little like his father, from what Killua could tell, he’d bet anything that the boy would be a pretty interesting character.  
Killua almost wished he could meet him.

It’d be nice to have a friend his age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let you all decide who you think Killua met in this chapter ;) But I'm sure it's very easy to guess who it is!


	5. More X Than A x Killing Machine

Within the next couple of days, Killua received an invitation with the most vague instructions he had ever read in his entire life:

  
_Congratulations, your application for the 287th annual hunter exam has been approved._

_The testing location is Zaban City_

_On the seventh of January_

_Good Luck_

  
The silverette sighed out. Where exactly in Zaban city was it supposed to be?! There were no instructions or directions at all. At this point, he hoped that upon his arrival there might be a big sign pointing in the direction of the exam or at least someone to guide him to the testing location. It was such a ridiculous letter, and he felt so frustrated that he had to pocket the piece of paper out of fear of tearing it up to release pent up anger.

As soon as he calmed down, his eyes glanced upon the marks on his legs. “Hmmm…” He pondered, realizing that walking around with so many blue marks on him may not exactly be the best position to be in. The deep blue turtleneck that he wore underneath a plain white shirt was coverage for his arms, but the shorts he wore were not his best idea. The other person, wherever they are, had the same exact markings as him. Putting his bruises on display was practically lighting up a sign saying “I’m your target, kill me!”  
There had to be a way to conceal the bruises as they healed. By the time the Hunter exam came along, they would all be healed. All except the huge gash in the palm of his left hand. That would be the hardest part. He could probably go to a store and buy foundation to cover up the spots, but there was no way he could do the same with his wounded hand. And putting a bandage on his hand might also be a suspicious sign to his pursuer. Maybe to fake them out, he could put bandages on both hands, which would make it look like both of his hands were injured. That was probably the best route to go.

Killua ended up leaving the store with far more than he thought he would. What originally started out as a trip to get foundation and bandages to cover up his markings turned out to be a chocorobo spree. He couldn’t control himself, especially not when it involved the teen’s favorite candy of all time. It would have been almost cruel for him to pass up the chance to stock up on the delicious treats.

But the part he felt most guilty about with his impulse buying was the skateboard snuggled into the nook under his armpit. The board was simple, yet charming. Bright yellow outlined a red arrow in the center. Killua didn’t particularly care for the colors that much; they really weren’t the most appealing. But it was the only color available. After spending ten minutes contemplating, he finally convinced himself that teaching himself how to ride a skateboard would not only be fun, but would fill in the space of time leading up to his flight to the Zaban City. With that, the boy walked out of the store with arms completely full and no place to empty them. He had to laugh at himself. He refused to carry around a tiny box of leftover chocolate pie because it would be a hassle, but here he was, impulse buying much bigger items which are just as much, if not more of a hassle.

Despite all the skepticism of himself, the actual process of learning to ride the skateboard was relatively simple for him; and he soon forgot his regrets. At first, there seemed to be many failed attempts at balancing himself and repeatedly slamming his lean figure into the ground. But eventually he found balancing to be easy. And once he could roll around a direct himself, he soon learned how to do cool tricks, like kicking his feet against the top of the board which would push the four-wheeled plank to twist into the air and land swiftly in the hand closest to the point of tossing.

For the child who had learned many trades far beyond his age, learning how to ride the board was as simple as tearing someone’s heart out. It happened quickly and was now second nature for him. The difference being that only one of those things he actively enjoyed now.

The remainder of his time spent in the remnants of a poor city flew by before he knew it. And he realized for the first time, that he felt like a normal teenage boy.  
And not a human killing machine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short!


	6. Chocolate X And X Tests

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys my two OC’s. I definitely enjoyed writing them!  
> I want to take this time to address that this is my first time writing a character with a disability. I tried to do as much research as I could before just seemingly randomly putting a person with a disability into this fan fiction. I know it’s a great leap to take, and I’d just like to point out that it was a leap I was willing to take to broaden my horizon with different types of people.  
> Having said that, if the characterization seems stereotypical in any way, shape or form, PLEASE TELL ME ASAP!!!!!! The last thing I want to do is offend anyone who has experienced/ has a loved one who has a similar disability.

Killua rolled a chocorobo ball around on his tongue idly while counting how much jenny he had left. The skateboard price had done a number on his wallet, little to his surprise. He realized his stupid choice had probably cost him a few nights of dinner; not that he hadn’t done that in the past; many of his training sessions had consisted of days on end without food. Nonetheless he sighed as he leaned into his seat and looked out the window of the aircraft. Being able to eat new things was something he was looking forward to.

It was the price he paid for entertainment.

His ear suddenly caught word of a one sided bicker. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Killua peered over his seat curiously, wondering what had sparked the commotion.

There was a man, possibly about forty years of age, what with the scruff stubble and slicked brunette hair. His square jaw rose into a sneer, accompanied by thick scrunched eyebrows. He was a rather lanky, long legged man. “Well?! Aren’t you gonna apologize?!”

His voice was raising above the head of a young female. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties. Her burgundy hair was tied up in a maroon striped ribbon, which Killua decided he really liked the color of.

The young Zoldyck realized that despite the fact that the man was repeatedly hounding at her for supposedly bumping into him, she never spoke a word back. She would repeatedly raise her shoulders, shaking her head without so much as a peep. It was obvious that whatever the man was mad about, it wasn’t getting through to her.  
Killua popped the rest of the chocolate into his mouth and, tossed the box into a trash bin next to his seat. He strolled over to the commotion, acting only mildly interested.

“Hey old man,” Killua’s voice was monotonous. “Are you stupid? It’s obvious she can’t understand you. Give it up and leave her alone.”

Eyes snapped in Killua’s direction, snarling at him in the process. “And who the hell are you, kid?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Killua’s eyes started to go blank, creating an ominous atmosphere around the three bodies. “You’re just annoying and I’m already tired of listening to you speak.” Killua could see the fear radiating in the male’s unsettling gold-brown eyes. His body shivered once before gaining control over it again.

“Look here you little-” Killua didn’t get time to register what he had said before a hand came smashing down on the taller body. An arm was twisted behind the owner followed by the most pitiful whimper Killua had ever heard.

But Killua was no longer interested in spitting fuel in the fire for mere amusement.

Now, he itched with excitement as the woman who Killua had falsely assumed was in distress moments ago had more than taken matters into her own hands. She had pinned the ignorant fool to the ground, with one hand, and was now sitting on his back; no big deal. Her lips formed an easy grin directed at Killua, but quickly brought an index finger up to her lips, telling him not to blow her cover as she continued a mischievous deed. Killua matched her grin and giggled silently before having his own fun with the man.  
“You seem a little pinned there.” His voice laced with mockery. A stealthy hand moved to an occupied pocket, which revealed a wallet.

An embarrassed groan escaped his lips. “Alright you brats, I’ve learned a lesson. Now let me go!” He struggled underneath the tight grip; oblivious to the fact that his wallet was being stolen.

His hand pinned at the ground tapped three times as an extra sign of defeat.

Once the wallet had found a new secret home, the female eased her weight off him.

She left no room for further conversation, and turned her back to both males. Killua was still interested in the abilities of the woman, so he tagged behind her. “Hey you were really cool back there!” He praised. But there was no response.

Killua wondered why exactly she had never said anything. Was she mute? Or could she really not understand what was being said to her?

Killua thought carefully. It seemed she only really responded if the person speaking to her was face to face with her. It was then that she was able to make basic communications.

The answer hit him immediately.

She’s deaf!

And she uses lip reading as a means to figure out what people were saying.

When the man yelled at her earlier, it’s not that she didn’t understand what she had “done” to him; she could tell what he was saying perfectly fine. It’s just that she didn’t care.  
Which made Killua grin from ear to ear.

The ecstatic boy leaped out in front of her, his white hair bouncing excitedly. He repeated what he said for her to see. “You were super cool back there!”

Her eyes lit up immediately, and nodded frantically. “Thank you.” her voice croaked a bit, but it wasn’t hard to understand what she had said.

“I’m Killua,” he introduced calmly.

The woman was close to naming herself, when another feminine hand placed feverishly on her shoulder and twisted her around. “Zephyria!” The voice’s owner immediately started flaring. “Zeph, you can’t just walk off in the middle of the flight! You’re the captain of this air craft for God’s sakes! Get back to the control center!”

Killua’s jaw dropped.

This was the captain of the airship.

And he had just witnessed her pickpocket a man’s wallet after pinning him violently to the ground.

“Holy crap,” Killua muttered. Two eyes locked on him, then went gentle.

“Ah, sorry, I hope she wasn’t bothering you!” The speaker was a blond haired woman. Her hair was short; the longest strands in the front only barely reached her shoulders. The rest of her hair shortened as it reached the back, leaving the smallest traces of an undercut.

“Nah, she hasn’t bothered me. I got curious after she had a run in with some idiot.”

“‘A run in,’ you say?” She sounded entirely suspicious of the captain Zephyria. Her hand immediately shot out. “What did you take, Zeph?” Zephyria stuck her tongue out, followed by the brightest of toothy grins. She shrugged her shoulders as if she was completely innocent of all charges. Her hands moved in a short rhythmic pattern, explaining something to her partner that Killua didn’t quite understand. “Oh, bullshit!” The blonde screeched. “I know for a fact you stole something so give it to me now!”

“She does that often?” Killua inquired.

“Too often,” a sigh answers. “She doesn’t actually mean any harm by it. She just likes playing around when travelers who, as she puts it, ‘are too high on their horse’.”

“Well the guy was too high on his horse.”

“Don’t encourage her!”

A laugh rang through the atmosphere, coming straight from the captain herself, stopping the two from engaging any further in conversation. Her ocean deep eyes sparked with even more excitement as she began signing to her partner once more. After she finished, both made eye contact with Killua. The blonde woman sighed once more and smiled.  
“I guess it seems she’s taken a liking to you. She’s invited you to come back to the control room with us for the remainder of the flight, Killua.” Killua wondered briefly how she had known his name. But then remembered that it was right as he was introducing himself to Zephyria that the younger looking female made her entrance.

“Sounds, awesome!” He agreed instantaneously.

Killua kicked his legs happily as he drank a cup of hot chocolate that Kirah, who he discovered to be the name of the blond woman and Zephyria’s co-captain, had made. The drink warmed his throat deliciously and made his whole body feel replenished and full. If he wasn’t currently in the presence of the captain and co-captain of the aircraft, he would have probably laid down to take a nap after intaking the chocolatey beverage.

“So Killua,” Kirah began to question him. “What are you flying out to Zaban City for?”

Killua felt no reason to lie or beat around the bush. Even if they happened to be spies for his family, it’s not as if whatever information he told them would help them with anything. The things he would tell the women would be the information that his family already knew.

“I’m taking the hunter exam. I want to get a license so that I can get information on something.”

Both women trained eyes on each other before focusing back on Killua. “The Hunter exam, huh? Why’re you taking the exam?”

Killua tensed up. While he felt perfectly fine telling them that he was taking the exam, he didn’t feel nearly as comfortable explaining why, mainly because of two reasons. One, if the reasoning why he had decided to take the exam reached his family, they’d send someone to capture him and bring him home. Afterall, if they found that their supposed heir to the business was seeking freedom from the wretched occupation after making his final kill, they would be furious. Especially his mother. But he also realized that the two could also be working underneath his chaser.

“No offense,” He tried to tell them lightly. “But I’d rather not tell you. It’s a bit personal.”

Zephyria shook her head. “Then unfortunately Killua… We won’t be able to let you pass on into Zaban City.” Real, sincere regret could actually be heard in Kirah’s voice.

“Why?!” Killua’s protested immediately.

“Zeph and I are both examiners for the hunter exam. There are hundreds of thousands of applicants for the exam at any given year. Many hunters, like Zeph and I, are stationed at various travel vessels to weed out those who just wouldn’t make it through the exam for any number of reasons. If you can’t give us a reason, we can’t give you access.”

Killua pondered for a deep moment. So far, he liked both of the people he had spent the evening with. They didn’t seem to be bad characters, but he just wasn’t sure if he could actually let his guard down. There were many thin lines to tread and too much empty space in between. “How do I know that you’re telling truth?” he asked cautiously.

 

“Well, we’ve got these.” Both women presented their licenses. The cards displayed a double crossed ‘X’ pattern. It was undoubtedly the logo for the hunter’s association. But the cards could be fakes. Killua knew of many people with access to creating fake identification. He assumed that fabricating a hunter’s license was nothing out of the blue. Furthermore, even if their hunter licenses were real, then it still didn’t exactly prove they were trustworthy. Hunters were known to be hired for jobs by other organizations and people. They could have just as easily been hired by his family or his pursuer.

“That doesn’t exactly prove you to be trustworthy.”

Zeph nodded, and signed to Kirah that she understood his reasons for the distrust. But unfortunately, he had no other choice but to trust them. If he didn’t, then the simple fact remained this; he would not be permitted to take the exam. Kirah translated.

“‘Fine,”Killua would be as vague as possible with them in hopes that if he gave some kind of answer, they would let him off the hook. “I’m looking for someone important. I figured that if I passed the exam, then I could use the informational database that only hunters can use to find them. I hear the hunters have lots of information that no other organisation or database has because of potential jobs and hunts.” He leaned back into his seat and crossed his legs from underneath him. ‘Please let that be enough. I don’t want to have to flip my switch….’

“Well Zeph, what d’you think?” Kirah asked calmly.

Zeph pointed a thumb in the air. “Good.” her voice was unsteady, but the confirmation was firm. Killua released the breath he held from deep within his lungs.

The rest of the ride to Zaban City took the time span of about two days, leaving three days to find the exam location. The drop off, Zeph had pointed out on a map, was at the far left of the edge of the city. Kirah told him that he wanted to go find an isolated cavern, which was farther up north of the city. There he would find a shortcut to the exam.  
Before Killua departed, Zeph tapped his shoulder, and signed to Kirah for translation. Kirah immediately looked horrified. “Zeph, that’s cheating! We can’t tell him that!”

Zeph’s hand clamped her mouth and shushed her, before furiously motioning to Killua. They had at least a ten second stare down before Zeph smiled and kissed Kirah on the cheek. Kirah’s face lit a visibly red color, and Killua was confused as to the exchange that happened between the two. “Okay! Okay, Fine! God you’re stubborn!” Kirah had a noticeably big soft spot for the captain. “You’re really lucky Killua. Zeph is pretty much going to give you a one way ticket passed one of the trials you will face on your way to the exam. You’ll be presented with a question. Whatever you do, don’t answer it. Even if you are confidant that your answer is the correct one.”

“Why is she telling me this?” Killua raised an eyebrow.

“Because she likes you; you’re interesting to her. But she can also sense that you’re heart lays differently from many others, and that what you’ve experienced as a child is extremely abnormal. The answer that you would give would be entirely correct in your case; but it wouldn’t be the answer they’re looking for. She figures that such experiences shouldn’t be what holds you back from being able to take the exam.” Zeph pushed on her shoulder to continue. “ Zeph, calm down I’m getting to it! She also wants me to point out that just like you, she’s a sucker for mischief, as you could tell by her pick-pocketing. So she doesn’t really care about the rules of the hunter association. She just wants to mess with them.” Kirah’s voice went bland when talking about her captain’s overwhelming urge to create trouble for no reason.

Killua laughed breathlessly. He confirmed to himself that if there were any other role model in the world he could have besides his father, it would definitely be Zeph. “Thanks Zeph, Kirah! I’ll keep your advice in mind!”

He was about to turn to continue on his way to the exam when a thought crossed his mind. “Hey Zeph, real quick.” He called out. “Why didn’t you pin that guy earlier when he first started yelling at you? Why did you wait until after I had butted in?”

She read his lips with a growing grin. Her answer was simple and didn’t need translating.

There were three motions made in her answer.

A point to him.

A wringing of the neck.

A point to the aircraft, where the man was presumably located.

“You were going to kill him.”

And Killua couldn’t have laughed harder.

Because she was entirely correct.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed Kirah and Zeph!


	7. Riddle X Me X For Naught

The sound of small wheels scratching steadily against a concrete path filled Killua’s brain. He was proud of his past self for investing in his new means of travel. While he didn't tire quickly, being able to roll effortlessly across the ground proved to conserve energy, which would greatly increase his chances of passing the exam with flying colors. Yes, Killua had proven to himself that he was quite the intelligent and well prepared person.

After two hours of strolling along on his skateboard, the electric blue eyed soul found himself wandering into what seemed like an abandoned town. It gently reminded him of the city he had taken shelter in while waiting for the date of his flight. Shambled buildings, windows replaced by wooden planks, bricks fallen out of their place, pieces of old furniture scattered carelessly. Despite seemingly empty of any lifeform, Killua did not falter in his sensing of another presence. In fact, there were many, but he couldn’t quite figure out if they were hostile.

He took his chances in believing that they were harmless, especially if they existed within this part of Zaban. They were either too scared to go outside while a stranger rolled about or they were another part of the exam. Killua’s mind lingered on the advice that Zephyria had gifted him; he would be asked a question, but do not answer it. The occasion hadn’t risen yet, so Killua knew it was not completely out of the question that whoever was hiding in the wreckage could be the interrogators. He passed in silence.  
He figured it was about half way through the city when a drum beat began playing with no coordinated beat. Recorders blasted with no skill, and the chiming of a tambourine rang unnaturally in combination with the attempt to make music. Whilst the horrid noises continued, a stage rolled out in front of him. The analytical mind counted about ten masked faces; all who surrounded an older woman. ‘Oh wonderful,’ his thoughts pained him, ‘An old hag. Just what I needed to run into.’

His foot planted firmly next to the red arrow skateboard while he buried his hands deep into the pockets of the shorts that hugged his hips effortlessly. “Hmm…? What do you want?” His voice droned as if he was uninterested in their presence.

“We assume you are trying to take the hunter exam?” The old woman’s voice reflected her, but she also sounded a tad bit amused at his almost non existent acknowledgement.  
“Sure. What’s it to you?”

“I have a riddle for you to answer-” Killua mentally grinned. This was it. However, he tried not to seem prepared for the question. He thought for Zeph’s sake, it would be best that he acted as if he knew nothing of the trial. “You will have five seconds to answer.”

“And if I decide that I don’t want to take this stupid quiz of yours?” He grinned expectantly.

A mocking tone appeared in Killua’s ear, but he quickly found that it was not the same scratchy, aged voice. It was definitely younger, more masculine, and the sound of the slurred voice was not very pleasing to the ear. “Hmmm… It sounds like you don’t want to make it to the exam then, boy~❤”

Killua’s mood instantly sloped into immediate mistrust.

He hadn’t even sensed the presence. That’s the second time he was unable to figure out that someone had snuck up on him. Was he losing his touch? He had only been traveling without training for a little under two weeks. There was no way for him to start deteriorating in his skills that fast, was there? No… It had to be that the two men had managed to conceal their presence somehow. But how did they do it?

Killua’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the man that appeared behind him. The man definitely looked like a entertainer. His red hair slicked towards the back of his head. A red star painted below his right eye with a blue tear drop below the left to keep it company. The attire was probably the most bizarre part of him. What seemed almost like giant pink rubber bands hugged the stomach, biceps, wrists, and ankles. A shirt that only reached half-way down the skinny torso and a pale yellow cloth that wrapped around his hips; tying at the front. About the only normal thing on his body were the white baggy pants covering his long legs. While he displayed such an entertaining fashion, his facial expression was entirely dangerous. The combination of a liars grin and a jokesters golden glare kept Killua on his toes.

“Who the hell are you?” Killua spat at him.

“Hmm? You don’t seem too particularly fond of me. If you’d rather not partake in the riddle, then I hope you don’t mind that I continue on~ ♣️️”  
Killua pushed himself back, suggesting that the other male can go in front of him. The young Zoldyck could feel that there was a lethal power radiating from him. As the man passed, Killua’s eyes scanned his left hand. He looked for any particular markings to suggest that there might have been a cut on the palm of his hand. To the teen’s relief, there was nothing.

“Are you ready for the question, then?” The old voice cracked. An amused hum was his response. “Alright then. Your mother and your best friend have both fallen fatally ill. There is an antidote, but there is only enough to save one. Which one will you choose?”

The countdown started. “5…” Nothing changed in the man’s posture. “4…” A grin that continued to spread the lips. “3…” Killua couldn’t believe it. Who told him? Was he lucky enough to have someone similar to Zeph when he traveled to Zaban City? Judging by the strange personality that radiated from the weird man, there was no possible way someone would have actually taken a sincere liking to him. “2…” Why? How did he find out?! “1…”

The countdown finished in silence.

“You may pass.”

A door to the left was opened by the gas masked clad partners. Without a second thought, he rhythmically paced through the walkway. “Young boy,” Killua was addressed to by the short woman on stage. “You may continue as well.”

“What?! But you weren’t even asking me the question!”Killua growled. Not only had the man snuck up on him, but now he was taking all of the fun and glory out of the journey to the exam!

“There would be no reason for me to ask you if you already know how to answer. You may pass.”

Killua snorted, upset that he couldn’t answer the way Zeph had told him to. It seemed all in vain now; there was no reason for the captain’s cheating to have happened, since he would have passed through regardless. “Damn clown man…” He cursed and rolled through the passageway.

A small chuckle escaped the lips of the older woman, but Killua had long passed through the entrance. He would never hear her words. “What an interesting group of examinees we have this year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fun little meeting between Killua and a... "fun" character.  
> We're getting close to the meeting~!  
> I'm super excited!


	8. You X Can't Poison X Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very quickly scanned this before posting, so I apologize in advance if you spot any mess ups.  
> Enjoy~!

Killua had become progressively more annoyed at the previous event. The mysterious red headed man that had jumped ahead of him still fresh in his mind despite the fact that it had happened well over half a day ago. There was an aggressive speed that Killua forced his skateboard to roll, passing tree after tree in a blur.

He wished he hadn't gobbled down all those chocorobos so quickly; eating chocolate would at least calm him down a bit. He sighed audibly. ‘What a jerk…’ his mind kept repeating that one line multiple times in his head. It was stupid really, and he knew that he shouldn’t be as angry as he was; it had made his access into the exam even easier. But still, the twelve year old couldn’t help but keep a bad taste in his mouth every time he thought of the less than endearing male.

He had realized that the reason why he was so bitter was that there was a possibility that they would have to meet again. After all, the guy was on his way to take the exam as well. And the fact that he had snuck up on Killua made him bite his own cheek. He wasn’t as bitter when the scruffy dog man had snuck up on him, mostly because that particular guy wasn’t dangerous as far as he could tell. Also, Killua had an excuse; he had been asleep.

But Killua was fully awake and attentive when the second man appeared.

This factor was what made Killua cringe the most.

Killua spent another hour swirling conflict in his mind before it was cut off by a high pitched scream. Conveniently, the scream seemed to have come from the cabin that perched at the farthest distance of his eye sight. His feet kicked the board into his hand as he silently paced to the cabin. He ducked his head down so that he was not visible from the square window at the front of the wooden building.

The door, he noticed, was cracked open a considerable amount and inviting to any intruders. Whoever was in there obviously had no qualms about breaking and entering.  
The assassin boy slowly maneuvered his body to peak behind the doorway. He could see a giant body hunched over itself. It definitely wasn't human; more so it was a beastly body. There was a dirty gold color that reflected off the fur that covered its body.

The silver haired child inched slowly into the room, careful to not step on a creaking plank of wood. His toes stayed light, placing almost no weight just as he had been taught to do since he learned to walk. As he snuck up to the creature, his eyes glanced at a pair of human legs that laid in front of it. He couldn’t see the rest of the body, as it was covered from sight by the intruder.

Once Killua was close enough behind the giant being, he took action. His legs bent, building up the strength within his calves. He pushed down on the ground, pouncing on the back of the beast and wrapped his arms around it’s neck. Once he had a tight grip, he pulled the beast down, pinning it to the ground with ease. He found that there was a woman caught in it’s hands. When it had been forced violently to the ground, it loosened the grip that each of the three taloned hands had around her tiny neck.

“Wait!” The beast squealed out desperately as sharpened nails flashed before its eyes. Killua stopped his attack, but still kept his elongated claws aimed for the throat of the beast.

“You can talk.” Killua had spoken plainly, but he was still quite surprised. This time, he took the chance to analyze the face of the weird creature.

It was almost like a giant rabbit-dog hybrid. It had a long snout protruding out from the face. At the top of the head perched two long ears, giving the bunny like features. The most defining look, Killua noticed, were the upwards slanted eyes that the beast possessed. Despite the eyes appearing to be full of tricks, the creature actually was quite terrified.

“Don’t kill him!” the human woman had protested out to Killua. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. This creature was just trying to kill her not even a split second ago. Why was she telling him not to kill it?

“It was just trying to kill you.” He reminded, refusing to let his grip soften.

“It’s just a test!” The creature answered quickly.

“A test? For the hunter exam?” Killua raised an eyebrow this time.

“Yes! For the hunter exam!” the female called out desperately.

He peeled himself off after the confirmation. “Care to explain?” Killua’s voice was a bit agitated.

“We are a family of shapeshifters called koriko,” the male body that laid on the floor sat himself up, revealing that he was not dead nor injured. “We test the skills of exam registrants and navigate them to the hunter exam location.” He almost sounded amused. Killua wasn't quite sure why.

“I'd say he more than qualifies!” The shifted koriko rubbed his neck, relieved it was still intact. He was far too close to losing his head.

“Yes, indeed,” the female sighed out. “I don't think anyone has been that quiet before. And you're quite young as well. You must have gone through some rigorous training!”

The young assassin puffed his chest proudly. It had been a while since he had been given praise for his skills. The complement definitely boosted his pride!

“Yeah, it was no big deal!” His nose stuck triumphantly into the air.

“Well, it's still quite early for us to take you to the exam. There's still a whole ‘nother day-”

“I'd like to go now!” Killua jumped. He quickly came to the realization that he was entirely too excited. “I mean, if that's okay with you, I’d like to go now.”

“I don't see why not,” the red headed woman looked at her male partner.

“Brother, would you like me to take him?”

“Sure, I'll take the next group.”

 

The location was… different from what Killua had imagined. Compared to the proud building next to it, the restaurant next to it seemed minuscule and almost invisible. Killua was almost a little disappointed that he didn't get to experience bigger building, but he understood why they concealed the exam within the eatery. No one could just find their way to the exam by themselves; which kept out unwanted guests.

Once inside, the woman spoke out an order, which Killua could tell was only meant as a secret password. They were directed to a back room with a large, circular table in the middle. It was not set for eating at; no plates and no silverware. A quick “good luck" was passed his way, and just like that, he was on his own again.  
Killua was not surprised when he felt the ground below him shake and the room felt as if it was descending into the ground. ‘An elevator. Clever.’ Killua gave kudos to the exam planners.

The praise, however, quickly turned into criticism. His journey to the exam had been easy; far too easy. The trials were hardly a challenge. Everything had happened so quickly, he was almost afraid that the exam wouldn't even be fun. Killua shoved his hands into pockets while aimlessly balancing his foot on the lifted portion of his skateboard. He'd place pressure on it to send it on two wheels before releasing it back onto all fours. Over and over, he continued this thoughtless process, waiting for the elevator to reveal the exam.

He wondered if he was the first one there. After All, he was a whole day early. It'd be pretty exciting if he was the first to arrive! He'd have amazing bragging rights! Also, he'd be able to prove that the exam was so easy, even a young teen like him could pass it with flying colors.

All those adults who couldn't pass it would be proven weak and irrelevant.

The door finally creaked open, revealing a large, dark room. A few lights illuminated the place, but not by much. The room almost reminded the teen of a cleaner, dry version of the insides of a city sewer.

Much to Killua’s disappointment, other souls had beaten him to the exam. Many looked to be normal people; standing around and conversing amongst themselves. Some had weapons attached to their bodies. Others came completely empty handed. The room probably had close to a hundred occupants. It was still early, so there were bound to be a flourish of potential hunters coming within the following hours.

Killua was greeted by a small green headed person in a well displayed suit. “Hello! Please take a number!” He handed Killua a small badge that read the number “99” on it. It was an appropriate assumption that it meant he was the ninety ninth person to arrive.  
“Thanks.” He mumbled and passed the small person on his skateboard.

 

A few hours had passed, in which Killua had spent it skating around aimlessly. A few people had glared at him, others paid no mind to him. It seemed some of them were sizing him up. Seeing as how he was a teen, and in the early years at that, many were probably surprised he had been able to get to the exam.  
He was almost tempted to approach someone and make small talk. Then he started thinking about playing a truck on someone to lighten his mood. That thought completely died out when he spotted the red haired man that had gone ahead of Killua when approached by the old riddle lady. Killua didn't feel like causing a problem that would somehow get that weird, twisted grin involved.

It would be another two hours before he would have an interaction with someone.

And that someone was a very heavy set man; #16, Tonpa. Tonpa had introduced himself kindly to Killua, and had named off a few contestants who had taken the exam before and those who were new and had any significant traits. The only one Killua was really interested in finding out about what was the strangely clad man with a number 44 attached to his shirt. Tonpa had said his that his name is Hisoka, and that the magician had taken the exam last year but failed because of an attempt to kill an examiner. This confirmed Killua’s ongoing suspicions; Hisoka was a dangerous person and he should do everything within his power to stay far away from him.

After introductions, Tonpa presented two orange cans. “Here!” Tonpa passed one to Killua. The offer was taken instantaneously. “A toast to good luck on this year's exam!” The large brunette man chimed.

“Thanks!” Killua grinned happily. As Killua tipped his head back, a dreadfully familiar taste entered his mouth. While it was a masked flavor, it was most definitely present. It was a kind of poison, and while it wouldn't kill, it would definitely leave a person’s bowel movements flowing strongly. ‘Laxative,’ Killua identified to himself. It was one of the many drugs and poisons he had been subjected in his early years of assassin training.

This Tonpa man was trying to get him out the race far before it even started.

The slanted eyes that Killua possessed glittered mischievously.

He released the can from his lips and sighed as if he had been quenched of his thirst. “Wow, that's really good juice! Would you mind if I take another one after I finish this one?” He asked excitedly.

“Sure!” The heavy set male almost stuttered. Killua grinned.

He'd have a few hours of fun messing with the older male.

He could only imagine the expression of a man who thought he'd poison a child.

But joke’s on him; Killua was immune to almost all existing poisons.

A laxative, no matter how powerful, would not wave Killua out of the exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now our Killua is finally at the end! Next chapter will catch up on Gon and then... Well... You guys know what's coming! :)  
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Mysterious X Important X Someones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry this took so long to write you guys :( School has been kicking my butt!  
> But hey, I got it done and we're updated now!  
> I know everyone has been anticipating the fateful meeting between our two soulmates, so I hope this was worth the wait!  
> Enjoy~
> 
> (Edit: I just fixed all of the typos, mistakes, etc. Sorry if you read it before, haha.... It was a mess...)

Gon’s Amber eyes stared longingly at the one and only mark still present on his skin. It had been two weeks since the deep piercing blue revealed itself upon the palm of his left hand. And it had been the last one. And even then, the one clue he currently had was slowly disappearing as well.  

The rest of his skin was completely clear and bruise free. If not for his palm, he almost looked like he never was meant to have a soul mate in the first place. Which Gon thought would be a much more terrible case than having the marks disappearing. At least he knew that he had someone to look forward to sharing his life with.

“Well, Gon?!” His name was signaled by two distressed voices. His caramel eyes met the impatient gazes in front of him.

“Huh?” He hadn't been focusing on the current conversation his two new travel companions were having. Or an argument, rather.

“Gon, people become a hunter for honor! Don't you agree?” His blond friend Kurapika hissed.

“Wrong! People become hunters for the money, Gon! The money!” the taller, lanky Leorio countered.

“Uhmm…” Gon wasn't quite sure he disagreed with either. Especially considering his own reasons for taking the exam. Kurapika was taking the exam to avenge the death of his family and bring back their honor, which was completely acceptable. Leorio wanted to be a hunter because hunters can easily become wealthy, which was also a reasonable and quite smart tactic to getting rich quick. But Gon wasn't taking it for either of those reasons. The teen was risking his life to find his soulmate, which was neither about money nor pride. It was about saving someone important to him. And Gon figured, if the three of them had different reasons for taking the exam, then trying to sum up why people become hunters with one term would be impossible.

Before Gon could conjure up an answer to satisfy the two, the door leading the elevator door opened, signaling that they had officially arrived at the exam location. Gon visibly released a breath of relief.

The trio had not been welcomed by the other examinees. Many of the hundreds of souls that roamed the large, dark room glared at the entrance of more potential competition. A thick, noticeable tension filled the room. Some gathered in small groups; others stood in isolation. Some sat and relaxed, looking quite confident in themselves.

A short, green man in a suit greeted them as if many of the other participants weren't currently staring daggers. He handed them each a badge with a number on it. Gon read the number “405” before pinning the circle to the left breast of his jacket. From there, Gon continued to walk forward despite the obvious tension within the spacious area.

As he made his way through the room, he felt a strange twinge in his heart; something that felt important but he couldn’t exactly understand what it was. His heart was heated, almost like it was glowing. And the rest of his body felt extremely hot all of a sudden, like it would cause his person to melt into a puddle. His nerves weren’t exactly saying that he was anxious. No, this didn’t feel bad at all. In fact, he could almost say he felt happy. But… Why?

What was it that was making him acquire such a sense of belonging in the presence of a myriad of eyes that cast upon him like prey?

XXX

Killua had left Tonpa to his own devices. Instead, he tried to think of how long he had been waiting for the exam to start. Had it been a day already? It felt like it had been much longer, days perhaps. But it was impossible to tell the exact timing, as there were no clocks in sight to give a telling. He figured the exam should be starting soon, since there were so many examinees crowding the dark room. The lean teen had traveled deep into the large gathering, and was now far away from the entrance. He had heard the door opening and closing more times than he could count. Many of those that entered seemed boring, hardly even worth noting of existence.

So when the last group arrived for the test, he hadn’t even cared to look up to see what they looked like. He had decided that so far, there was only one person who he had deemed dangerous, which was the magician, Hisoka. Other than that, he could care less. Even the person foolish enough to try to poison him was hardly adequate to be a challenge. This was probably why he was trying to sucker newbies in with his “I’ll be your friend” attitude while simultaneously tricking them into drinking a high dosage of laxatives. It was to get rid of the competition before it had even started.

Killua was currently leaning against a wall. His skateboard rested in his lap as he idly rolled his hand across one of the four small wheels. He was counting the spins for no particular reason, “four -hundred and two… four -hundred and three… four -hundred and four… four -hundred and-fi-” his heart fluttered. Almost like a burning sensation that had completely caught him off guard. What the hell is this? He could sense a warm, slippery feeling all throughout his body. It was such a foreign and weird feeling, and at first, he almost hated it. But then his feelings warmed up with his heart, and he felt overwhelmingly happy for, he noticed rapidly, no apparent reasoning at all.

But just as quickly as it appeared, the burning sensations were gone. He didn’t understand what it was, and part of him was a little concerned. What if Hisoka had done something to him? He wouldn’t put it past the crazy magician guy to conjure up some weird magic and cast it on him. Afterall, it’d be a very easy way to knock out some competition. But he questioned himself even on this theory. Because even though his mind told him that he could be in danger, his heart would not cease from forcing his lips to curl up in a genuine smile.

XXX

The exam had started suddenly as a tall, lanky man had introduced himself as “Satotz” and asked all of the participants to follow him. Gon, Kurapika and Leorio had all stayed relatively close to each other. This made the start of the trek easy, as they would keep each other company in the seemingly never ending tunnel. The applicants would never know that two hours had easily passed, but they would start to notice that many of the cocky souls at the start were draining rapidly. Those that had managed to survive had caught on to the fact that they were undergoing and endurance test. One of those clever beings happened to be the ever intelligent Kurapika, and he had voiced this to his two companions.

Gon had noticed this too, right before Kurapika had made the announcement.

But his mind kept blurring back to that feeling of warmth. How much he wanted it back again.

XXX

Killua originally had started in the front of the group just to keep Satotz within his eyesight. However, he started to realize after a long, undetermined period of time passed that staying up front was boring. Those that were in the front lines had built up a considerable amount of endurance. While Killua knew he’d be able to run, he kept to gliding along on his skateboard.

But soon, he decided he no longer wanted to watch the stern onlookers, and began to slow himself down. He’d rather observe the ones that struggled to keep up or that were slowly being depleted of energy.

The strangest thing about his moving towards the back was he started getting that feeling again. That burning nerve that pinned his heart.

And as he traveled farther towards the back of the crowd, the temperature of his heart continued to rise.

XXX

Gon clutched his jacket above his heart now. What was this magnificent feeling buried so deep into his heart? Why did he feel like he was yearning for something? What was it? There was nothing incredibly out of the ordinary within the tunnel, was there? He made eye contact with Kurapika. “Kurapika… does your heart feel warm?”

“Warm? What do you mean?” The blond shook his head.

“Well, it’s happened twice since we entered the exam room. I just felt like my heart was really warm, like it was on fire! But it doesn’t feel bad or wrong…” Gon tried to explain the best he could.

Leorio piped into the conversation, wheezing quite a bit from the exercise. “Gon, that doesn’t sound normal.”

“Yeah, you’re right but… It’s there. I can definitely feel it.” Gon’s eyes burned with desire at locating the point of reason why his heart heated in such a delightful way.

But it was only when another teen had glided past the trio on a yellow skateboard with a red arrow that Gon’s attention focused away from the glowing heat in his body. Gon’s eyes locked onto the other teen. ‘What a smart idea,’ Gon praised in his head. He would have said this out loud, had Leorio not been currently screeching at the white haired boy.

“Hey you can’t ride around on your skateboard like that! That’s cheating!”

The young boy with his hands tucked into his pockets looked back, his ocean eyes locked onto Leorio with little to no real interest. “Hmm…? Why not?”

“Because this is an endurance test! Run like the rest of us!” The taller black haired male pointed an accusing finger at him. But before any more could be said, Gon interjected.

“That’s not true!” He shouted quickly at the two.

“Huh?! Who’s side are you on?!”

Gon wouldn’t register what Leorio said. He just simply replied “We were told to follow and keep up. There were never any rules saying we couldn’t travel by something other than foot.” Gon reasoned with him. Leorio grumbled, but no longer fought the two younger teens. Instead, the boys locked on to each other’s gazes. The skateboard proceeded to slow down down, making it so that the rider was next to Gon, who was carrying himself easily through the tunnel.

“How old are you?” The pale lips moved in question.

“I’m twelve!” Gon answered brightly, his heart still filling with that soft glow.

A strange glint in the other’s eyes flashed. Suddenly, a foot kicked the wheeled platform behind his back, effortlessly landing in an outstretched hand. The boy made a quick, out loud decision to run, just as everyone else. Gon’s lips pulled into a toothy grin, excited at how cool his new acquaintance was. Blue eyes darted over to look at him as the silver haired boy introduced himself, “I’m Killua.”

“I’m Gon!” he replied happily.

XXX

Killua felt at ease with the happy go lucky boy who ran next to him. Like a natural safe attachment, almost like how he felt with Zeph, but… something more. There was a part of himself that he couldn’t understand for once, but he welcomed the feeling. It was so strange, to be able to like a feeling that he had absolutely no idea of what it actually was. But he knew it had to do with this person.

The boy clad in green began running slower than the pace he was at when they had met. The time span had been not quite an hour. Killua was afraid that the boy had lost his strength, but the determined, easy expression on Gon’s face contradicted his speed. Maybe he was conserving energy?

It was when Gon had stopped all together, and was now looking back at the tall, lanky man that was now a couple feet behind the group that Killua realized that Gon wasn’t tired at all.  Gon knew that his tall friend, (the one that had screeched at Killua earlier for riding his skateboard) had been slowly depleting in strength. But Killua didn’t understand; his friend was probably not going to pass through the first phase, and while that would suck, there was always next year for the guy. It was his fault for not being prepared anyways. So why did Gon insist on waiting for him? “Gon, he’s hopeless. If we don’t keep moving, we’ll be left behind.” But the addressed boy wouldn’t budge. The gold amber eyes stared the back, patiently waiting. A minute ticked by, and the running group was getting further and further out of sight. But Gon stayed put, waiting for his friend. Killua sighed, realizing that Gon might be a stubborn idiot.

“Damn it all!” a booming voice came from the direction in which Gon stared, making Gon’s lips curl up into a slight smile. The male in the navy blue suit hiked himself up and dashed to cover the ground he previously couldn’t muster himself to do. His tall limbs had carried him so fast that his mind never registered that he had left the suitcase he had been carrying in the dust. But Gon had his back. The young island boy swung his trustee fishing rod and captured the plastic handle of the case. The line pulled forward, bringing the attached back and into Gon’s waiting hand.

Killua had been so entranced with the amazing task that Gon had performed. “Whoa, cool!” His eyes glimmered.

“Yup!” Gon laughed.

As the boys caught up with the group of potential hunters, Killua called out to the boy at his side. “Hey, will you let me try that out?”

Gon’s shining grin was the response, followed by a deal, “Only if you let me try your skateboard!”

Out of all the reasons Killua had for investing in the skateboard, sharing it with Gon was most definitely his favorite.

XXX

A large staircase stood as their next portion of the first phase of the exam. By now, many souls had dropped out, and many more would lose their will to move forward on the stairs. If just running in a straight, leveled line would exhaust out contestants, going up a huge flight of seemingly endless stairs would make many more wish they never tried.

But for the two teenage boys with unknowing matching tattoos on the palm of their hands, going up the stairs was a breeze. In fact, they had started a small conversation amongst themselves as they weaved around fallen participants. “So why are you taking the exam,  Killua?”

“Well,” Killua thought about his answer for a moment. At first, he would have really told Gon his actual reasons as to why he was taking the exam. Killua felt no legitimate threatening intentions radiating from Gon. But a part of him felt like Gon might cast judgement on him for planning to kill someone, even if it was to save his own tail. Gon just seemed too upbeat; too happy to consider killing someone as an okay thing to do. And Killua didn’t want to lose the first person he had met and liked at the actual exam. So Killua decided to project his second reason behind taking the exam, which was a much more innocent approach until he could figure out more about Gon’s character. “I’m just taking it for fun. I had heard that the exam was super difficult, so I wanted to give it a try. So far it’s been pretty boring though.”

“Really? I think it’s been fun so far! I’ve gotten to meet all kinds of people and travel to a place I’ve never been to before! I’ve lived on a small island all my life, so seeing the outside world is pretty nice!” Innocent indeed.

“Heh, yeah I guess that’s understandable in your case,” the boys leaned to the left as they passed by another straggler. Killua thought about the people he had met. The strange homeless guy, Zephyria, Kirah… Hisoka. All of them were weird and interesting characters to him, even the one that he sees as a threat. But none of them had become a travel companion like what Gon had seemed to gain. Granted the first three had already taken exam, so to travel with them all the way into the exam would be impossible, and Killua wasn’t going to subject himself to whatever tortures awaited if he tried to pair up with Hisoka. Killua had experienced all kinds of terrible aches and shocks from his training as an assassin, but Hisoka was a whole new breed of torture.

Killua envied the raven at how easy it was for him to be outgoing and affable. Man, socializing is hard…

“Well, what about you, huh? Why’re you taking the exam?” Killua inquired.

“Well, there’s someone who may need my help, but I’m not one hundred percent sure. But I know they’re important to me! So I need to find them and make sure they’re okay!”

“ Who is it?” A lean to the right to pass a short male who at this point, was crawling on his knees as a last effort to ascend the stairs. He wouldn’t make it.

“Well, I dunno.” Gon answered plainly.

Killua laughed in total disbelief. “‘You don’t know?! How can you say they’re important if you don’t even know who they are?!”

“Because-”

“Gon!” a shout from behind interrupted the conversation, leaving the thoughts behind. A half naked, sweaty, and frantic male had approached them from behind, followed closely by and blond partner who hardly seemed particularly exerted.

“Leorio! Kurapika!” Gon greeted the two happily.

“Hey old man, you’re still running?” Killua snickered.

“Old man?! I’m a teen just like you, you brat!”

“A teen?!” All three of the surrounding persons gasped out in awe. Killua couldn’t believe this guy! And by Gon and who he guessed to be Kurapika’s reaction, this was news to them as well, and they had been with the guy!

“Kurapika, did you know that?!” Gon looked at his blond friend.

“No, I had no idea.” the male they were currently speaking of pushed his entirely too small glasses up on his nose.

“Of course you wouldn’t have any idea! I just don’t act like a teenager!” Leorio boasted.

“Leorio, that would imply that you act like an adult.” Kurapika teased with a straight face.

Killua and Gon bursted out laughing. Killua decided that he liked Kurapika so far. And he maybe even liked Leorio. Maybe.

While the two bickered, Killua looked ahead of him. For the first time, a doorway of light appeared in the dark ascending tunnel. This must be the end of the first phase! The silverette smirked, thinking how easy this simple endurance test had been, and it had given him time to play around a little bit during the exam as well. Maybe the exam wasn’t as boring as he thought it was.

“Hey Gon!” Killua looked at his new partner. “Race you to the top!”

“The addressed boy huffed out a breathy laugh. “You’re on!”

  
In the end, both boys passed the last step at the same time, but neither would admit this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally met! Sorry if this seemed a lil anticlimactic, but I have some ideas for later on that I think will make the story much more interesting.  
> Killua is so intrigued and Gon is just so excited to meet the other!
> 
> Thank you all for reading this so far! I'm so happy to share this story with everyone! :)


	10. Where X Is X Gon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize with how long this chapter took me to write!!!! :( Gosh, every time I tried to start writing it, I was at a complete and total loss of where to go with it! I hope this chapter was worth the wait...  
> Please enjoy!  
> (Also, I just finished writing this, so I haven't checked for any errors yet. I'll probably reread it tomorrow when I have a fully functioning brain...)

A swamp encased the new land in which the group of potential hunters had approached. Much of the ground was covered in a thick, hazy cloud of mist and fog. Although, the participants could see those who surrounded them, many could not see a few heads past themselves, the ground clouds shrouding the line of sight with a drowsy grey hue. Only a few of the contestants did not feel nervous about their hindered sight; some shivered in excitement at the challenge, others were indifferent. It was here in which the participants found that they weren’t as close to finishing the first phase as they thought they were.

 

And it was here in which the participants caught a glimpse of the Hisoka that Killua found to be distasteful. With a flick of a hand, two playing cards were launched in opposite directions. One landing in the temple of a swamp creature disguised as the examiner. The other fitting snugly in between the index and middle fingers of the real Satotz. Hisoka, who Killua had never been very fond of to begin with, became even higher on the teen’s “stay far away from” list. After all, if Hisoka had no qualms with possibly killing a professional hunter, he had no qualms about killing any other poor soul within his eyesight. It was this action in his mind, that made Killua decide that he and Gon should move closer to the front of the crowd.

 

“Gon!” he calmly addressed the other twelve year old, “We should move up to the front of the line!”

 

“Huh? Why’s that?”

 

“It’s Hisoka… I’m not feeling too good about him. I think it’s best if we put some distance between us and him.” Killua tried hush himself. He wasn’t sure how close the man they were talking about was, and he’d rather not become a target.

 

“Okay! Hey Kurapika! Leorio! Killua and I moving to the front of the group!” The island boy shouted back without hesitation.

 

“Idiot, shut up! You’re gonna give away our location to him!” he snarled.

 

“Oops,” Gon giggled with a slightly embarrassed tone. “Sorry Killua. I just don’t want to lose the other two!”

 

Killua glared at the other boy for a slight moment, before realizing that the fog had grown thicker. Furthermore, the group almost seem to be disappearing from his line of vision. Before long, the only person he could see was the raven haired teen at his side. Eventually, he started hearing bellowed screams from ahead of them. Something was attacking them. Killua figured it might have been another one of the creatures from the swamp. Afterall, they had been warned that the beasts would try all kinds of tricks, and killing was not out of the question. And with the fog thickening, it would be easy to get caught in a waiting trap. While Killua assessed the situation, Gon had stopped running. “Killua,” he called out.

 

“Yeah?” Killua regrouped with his companion. “What’s up?”

 

“I smell something weird in front of us... I think maybe we should try going a different direction.” Gon’s voice sounded uncertain; the first time Killua had heard him sound something other than happy go lucky.

 

Killua almost questioned his smelling abilities, but decided against it. It was probably a weird Gon thing. “What do you suggest then?” Killua met his gaze.

 

“Well… I know this probably doesn’t sound like a very good idea, but maybe we should try to find that forest that was close by instead of running in the open field?”

 

Killua snorted. “Yeah you’re right, that sounds like a terrible idea.”

 

“Well, I dunno… I was thinking if we felt like we were being chased by anything, running through the trees might be a better escape route. Just because trees are harder to reach for most creatures in swamp areas. But I guess I wasn’t really thinking if you could do the same thing. Sorry Killua!” The worst part about Gon saying this, Killua thought, was that he wasn’t even mocking Killua. This was genuine concern, as if he thought Killua legitimately couldn’t jump through trees like it was a piece of cake. Killua also felt the need to feel embarrassed with himself, as he hadn’t even realized that this was a good idea at first.

 

“Idiot, I can do that easily!” he snapped. “Let’s just try it. We’ve already lost the group by now, so we got nothing to lose by it anyways.” Killua tried to brush it off, as if he hadn’t been observant enough compared to Gon to figure out the best course of action.

 

Gon answered with a delighted “Okay!” as they turned to find comfort within the trees.

 

XXX

 

As Gon and Killua approach the deep innards of the forest, the screams dimmed out from hearing range, suggesting that they were either going in a good direction or straying far from it. Either way, they weren’t facing whatever the others were, and that was probably for the best.

 

Once Killua felt that they were in a safe enough area, he began to focus less on clearing the fog with his eyes and focused more on the boy jogging lightly to his side. He studied Gon curiously in short glances, realizing that he had never been this close to someone around his age. The closest he had ever been was on a few missions. The first time he ever tried to get close to a few kids in a small alley way, his oldest brother Illumi presented no hesitation in ending their short lives. Afterwards, his brother convinced him that he had no need for friends because he was only meant to kill, and emotional attachments would only get in the way of his work. Any kids who he attempted to associate with afterwards were strictly for business. Most of the time, that business included their demise.

 

But Killua was free to make his own decisions now. He could talk to someone his age and play around with them all he wanted. Yes, play and talk and laugh; all the things Killua could have only dreamed of doing, he now had the liberty to make that a reality. This one confirmed thought in his mind blossomed a million more ideas. Would Gon really want be his friend? He didn’t see any reason why those amber eyes wouldn’t want to be his friend; the boy was energetic and extroverted enough to try to make friends with almost anyone he met. Killua smiled, realizing that if he and Gon became good enough friends, they could play games together, like slap or just have fun wrestling. Or they could make jokes about Leorio’s misleading appearance in comparison to his young age. Or they could talk about… about their lives.

 

Could Killua really tell Gon about how he grew up? Would the other boy disapprove of his strange childhood? But then again, if Gon was here taking the exam, then that meant he probably wasn’t quite normal either. Especially considering the boy was more than keeping of with Killua in terms of physical endurance. Neither of them, he noticed, had even begun to show the smallest signs of exhaustion. How strange and exciting! The first person he meets around his age outside of family business and it just so happens that this boy can keep up with him! He couldn’t help the smile playing gently on his lips.

 

Until Gon spoke out to him. “Killua, why do keep looking at me?” His voice was inquired out of pure curiousity.

 

“What?!” Killua darted his eyes hastily, not realising that he had kept his eyes on Gon for too long. How embarrassing! He quickly tried to cover himself up with lies. “I wasn’t looking at you!”

 

Gon, who quickly caught the desperate attempt of denial, smirked. “You definitely were, Killua! I saw your eyes looking straight at me!” He lightly elbowed Killua’s shoulder.

 

“I wasn’t! I was just-” his mind swam for an excuse. “Just making sure there wasn’t anything getting ready to attack from next to you! You should be more on guard, anyways! With this fog, we could be ambushed at any time!” Killua found himself nudging Gon back with the palm of his hand. Gon let out a breathy laugh.

 

“You were definitely staring at me Killua!” Gon teased further as he ran ahead of Killua; not far enough so that they couldn’t see each other amidst the fog, but far enough that Killua couldn’t immediately reach out and grab him. “Nobody smiles like that while looking out for danger!” Gon turned and jogged backwards while sticking his tongue out, initiating a play fight between the two of them. Killua would be damned if he gave in now.

 

“Get back here, Gon!” Killua increased his speed to match where Gon ran, who had turned himself back around to face forward once again. Both boys ran side by side, eagerly shoving the other playfully. Gon would press his hand against Killua’s shoulder, pushing him. Killua would fight back, shoving his shoulder against Gon’s and using force to make the boy jump a foot to the side on impact. Their laughter mixed together with the lightened mist.

 

“Killua, stop!” Gon’s breathy giggle objected to forceful treatment.

 

“Make me!” Killua spat out at him.

 

“Fine!” the older of the two pushed back against his playmate’s shoulder. Now they both ran, shoulders pressed tightly together, eliciting eager grunts as one competed with the other.

 

Soon Killua broke apart from the other, and raced to jump into the branches of the surrounding trees. He heard Gon’s giggles behind him and knew Gon would follow him into the trees. Killua kicked himself against a branch and landed in the next tree with a steady speed. How incredible he felt right now, racing against each other and giggling and play fighting. It was even more exhilarating than the former assassin could have imagined!

 

“Killua, get back here!” He heard Gon’s voice shout out excitedly, tailing closely behind Killua.

 

The addressed boy returned the exclamation with a heft laugh followed by a “nope! You gotta catch me, first!” After this, Killua picked his speed up, dashing steadily through the trees. Feeling the excited flickering of his hair whipping against his brow.  The tips of his bangs would sometimes lick against his cheeks, leaving a slight tickling sensation where they touched. But the wind in his face felt good; refreshing even. The new feelings caused him to laugh out even more. In fact, he was so caught up in the new heat burning in his chest from excitement that he hardly noticed that the giggling of his playmate had disappeared long ago. His own laughter died down, and he perched himself snugly in a branch.

 

“Gon?” He called out. There was no answer. “Gon, are you there?” his voice, much to his surprise, began to quiver at the sudden absence of the other teen. The young Zoldyck boy jumped out of the tree, landing lightly on his feet just like he had been taught in all of the years of grueling training to kill.

 

Where did he go? What happened to him? Killua was painfully aware at how suddenly alone and vulnerable he felt. But why? Alone was maybe an understanding concept to him; he had been in such a warming presence and then immediately stripped away from it. But vulnerable? He’d never felt vulnerable before this.  No, not since he began training under the controlling grip of his older brother. But now?

 

Now he feared he’d lost the other boy.

 

“Gon, where are you?!” Killua began running back from the direction in which they came. Still, no answer from the light hearted bouncy voice Killua had come quickly accustomed to. His heart sank.

 

Killua heard muffled footsteps to his right, opposite of where the forest was located. He soon recognized that this was the main running group. He had found them, but alone. Should he continue on in the hopes that maybe Gon had already regrouped with them? Or at least would eventually do so? Or should he continue searching?

 

The young boy fought with himself with a realization. He wasn’t here to actually make friends; he was here to get a license so that he could track down the person who cursed him. Friendship was just a major plus. But he had a mission for himself, and no matter how much he wanted to continue playing with Gon, he knew that deep down, he couldn’t truly be friends with Gon or anyone until he finished what he started.

 

So he decided that his best choice was to join the group of exam participants.

 

And hoped, in spite of himself, that Gon would be there to greet him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far! Excited Killua puts my heart at ease <3 buuuuut, no matter what universe, the poor boy can't get a break... (Sorry Killua...)
> 
> The next update shouldn't take as long now that I have midterms out of the way! (And I'm on break now!) Also, now that Ii have this chapter out of the way, I feel like my writing process might become a little easier! (Hopefully!) So that'll definitely aid in the updating process!
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading! <3  
> You're all amazing!


	11. Suffocating X By the X Minute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuuuys I'm so sooooorrry :(  
> This took waaaaay longer than it should have! I got distracted by fanart-fic requests and then before I knew it, school started up again!  
> Gosh, I am so so sorry this took so long to update!  
> As a gift for making you all wait SO LONG for this chapter, I'm gonna draw a bit of art to go with this chapter.  
> I hope that will make up for my terrible lack of updating...
> 
> UPDATE!!!! THE ART GIFT HAS BEEN COMPLETED!!!  
> Here it is!  
> https://shimmy-sham-with-the-fam.tumblr.com/post/158955298220/hunting-x-for-x-bruises-chapter-11
> 
> There's also a link at the end notes if you'd prefer seeing it after you read the chapter!

Gon hadn’t had this much fun since the last time he chased his foxbear friend Kon in the jungles of Whale Island. But… this was different. Playing with Killua was completely different in comparison. Because Killua was a human boy the same age as him. Killua could talk to him and laugh with him. Killua could jump through the trees and play the most amazing game of chase. And although Gon would gladly make friends with almost anyone he met, Killua just felt… natural. Like they had grown up together like this.

But Gon also felt the slightest bit of pain in his heart. Because he realized that there was a huge part of him that wished that Killua was the one who shared his marks. He had never wished for something so weird in his life, he confessed to himself. But none the less, he quickly lost his laughter and replaced it with the thought that no matter how special Killua seemed, there was someone out there that was supposed to be so much more precious to him. And somehow, he hated that thought.

His pace slowed as he gazed down at his left hand, noticing that even the last mark he shared with that other person was already starting to fade. Those marks they shared were the reason why he was taking this exam in the first place. So that he could find that person who was meant to be his soulmate.

And that wasn’t Killua.

Gon would have seriously considered Killua to be it. But Gon had taken the time to glance at the other teen’s hands a while ago. Much to the island boy’s disappointment, both of Killua’s hands were wrapped in medical gauze. It would have been possible if only Killua’s left hand was enveloped in the bandaging, but no… It was both hands.

Then, two of the worst thoughts popped into his head. The first one; that Killua was meant to have someone else as a soulmate, and a twinge of jealousy twisted his heart. Or that Killua just wasn’t meant to have a soulmate, which made Gon feel an unbelievably deep sadness for the other boy. It wouldn’t be fair, Gon thought, that Killua could play and make as many friends as he wanted. But the cruel reality that may have been made for the silver haired boy is that no one would ever truly be connected to him. That, in a sense, Killua would be alone his entire life. And that was even worse, Gon decided. No one as fun and smart as Killua deserved to be alone.

Gon snapped his eyes open in front of himself. He had stopped chasing Killua a long time ago. His playmate had long since disappeared into the fog, and now was nowhere in sight. “Kil-” He had almost called out the other teen’s name, had he not been cut off by the yelling of a familiar voice to his side. It was an older, masculine sound in comparison to his own underdeveloped, boyish voice. And Gon knew immediately that it belonged to his travel companion, Leorio. Gon followed the sound of his voice feverishly, hoping that his friend was okay. But if Leorio was yelling, there was a good chance he had gotten himself into some unnecessary trouble.

Gon ran to the clearing of trees and found his older friend sprinting full speed towards a taller, more ominous figure with red hair and suspiciously excited eyes. Hisoka. Leorio was going to get himself killed, Gon realized. He had to act fast if he hoped to save his friend’s life. The small green clad child took hold of his fishing pole that nestled snugly between his back and bag. He released the line quickly and swung the rod as fast he could, hoping that his aim and strength was precise and quick enough to hit his target.

Hisoka was leaning closer to Leorio, who had flung a large stick at the other man hopelessly, but with a bountiful amount of determination.

His arm creasing back behind him, smiling without a second thought. Hisoka was obviously excited to kill such a willing participant.

The red ball at the end of the wire flew through the air, heading straight for Hisoka. It was a miracle that Hisoka hadn’t noticed Gon or the ball that began to grow closer and closer to his head. Gon knew that if Hisoka hadn’t been distracted by Leorio’s pointless onslaught, the taller figure would have noticed him instantly.

With a deafening _thwap_ , the ball collided heavily into the side of Hisoka’s face. The ball left the smallest marking across Hisoka’s left temple. But that wouldn’t matter to the oddly clad man. No, now his focus was upon the young raven haired teen. And this scared Gon beyond belief. Yet… in the mix of the gaze that settled on Gon, he also couldn’t help but be the slightest bit of excited at such a sudden and strong opponent.

 

XXX

 

    Killua joined the group of runners with a small bit of anxiety resting in his chest. Despite his decision to move forward into the exam, he couldn’t settle the nervous feeling that threatened to rise and choke the air from his lungs. What if Gon really didn’t make it back? What had happened to him? Why would he just disappear like that?

Killua wanted so badly to push the thoughts out of his mind. Why did he care anyways? Gon’s passing wouldn’t matter to him; not in the slightest. Even if both of them pass the exam and get their licenses, they’d both probably go their separate ways afterwards, right? They had their own goals after all. Killua would go after  his pursuer and Gon would go after the person who’s important to him. Important to him… Important to Gon. How lucky that person had to be; to be so important to someone so exciting and fun.

No, he should stop thinking like this. It was wrong for him to get attached to Gon. Gon had someone else important to him, and that was just a basic fact. Unfortunately that just didn’t include Killua in this equation and there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn’t a surprise, really. Gon had proven that he was more than capable with getting along with different kinds of people. If Gon didn’t pass now, he’d go back home and have friends there and laugh with them, forgetting Killua. If Gon somehow found his way back and passed the exam, he’d set out to find that person that he says is so precious to him, forgetting Killua. So there was no reason for him to feel especially attached to Gon. It would only end in Killua’s suffering.

Suffering… Suffering… Suff… Suffocating? A tight coil sprung around Killua’s neck, as if he was being lifted from the ground by the neck and choked. Breathe! His fingers dragged at his neck, hoping to claw off whatever invincible force was cutting off the air flow to his lungs. Why couldn’t he breathe?! Were the thoughts of Gon too overbearing? No, that would be ridiculous! He could admit that they were quite upsetting internal disputes, but none could truly be the cause of his sudden inability to perform a basic act for living. No… Something was actually choking him…

The tight grip on his throat caused his vision to become darkened. Darker and darker was his descent into unconsciousness. It had to be… the person who’s hunting him! They got to him first! He failed… He’s a failure!

He failed himself and he failed Alluka and he failed Gon.

He’s going to die a fai-

Air bursted into his lungs, reviving the empty organs. His breath stuttered as he listened to the pounding in his head. They, whoever they were, released him. Were they toying with him? Did they realize that they had him in the palm of their hand, so they decided to play and torture before ending him?

He needs to act more cautiously; be more aware…

As his breath finally evened, a large wall was becoming visible amidst the collection of fog. Once approached, the examiner explained to the crowd that this was the end of the first phase of the exam, and that they would wait ten minutes for resting and last minute passers before the next phase began.

Killua darted his eyes around as he searched for another young boy clad in green.

One minute passed by.

No sign of Gon.

Killua’s foot rests on his skateboard. He limply pushed it back and forth.

Another minute flies by.

Stop being so concerned about him! You hardly even know him! Why do you feel the need to be so attached despite knowing him for only a few hours?

Three minute mark.

It doesn't matter if he passes! It's already been concluded that Gon’s passing wouldn't matter, so why? Why?! Why is there a need to feel so damn attached to him?!

Four.

It's wrong for him to feel so attached. Isn't it? After all, he'd always been taught to live without emotional connections towards outsiders. It was wrong for him to feel this way towards Gon.

The halfway mark.

Shut up... Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! It isn't wrong! Killua just wants a friend! What was so damn wrong about that?! That's why he broke away from his family in the first place!

Only four more to go… Gon, where are you?

So that he could make his own decisions about his life! So that he could be who he wanted to be and not have his whole life made up for him! Yes, all he had to do was get rid of the target on him and he would be free. Free to live his own life however he wanted!

Seven minutes… Will he make it?

No… there's no way… not with only three minutes left. Gon was done for, and Killua would have to finish the exam on his own.

Alone.

“Leorio!” A familiar, cheery voice filled Killua’s ears. Killua found himself locking out any other sounds besides that one voice.

It was him!

Gon made it!

Killua followed the voice, pushing another examinee out of his way in order to locate the source of that exciting voice. When he located the spiked hair and bright green jacket, he let out a long sigh of relief.

There Gon was, standing next to the blond named Kurapika and in front of a sitting Leorio. The oldest of the bunch looked like a wreck in Killua’s opinion. The right side of his face was richly swollen to the point that his eye was almost sealed shut.

And while Killua felt the slightest bit of concern for the man, what he was really focused on was just rejoining with Gon.

He was about to run full speed in the direction of green, but quickly realized that would be an entirely embarrassing act. He'd seem way too excited and how would that make him look?

No, he should just stroll up nonchalantly, and act cool like he always does. He called out to the other boy, “Gon!” Golden amber eyes locked onto him as his heart skipped a beat.

“Ah, Killua!” Gon looked just as excited as Killua felt. But the white haired boy was sure this was just because Gon was naturally an enthusiastic person regardless of who he was addressing. Still, Killua couldn't resist feeling overwhelmed with joy.

“Wow, you made it! I thought for sure you were a goner!” Killua grinned light heartedly.

“I just followed the scent of Leorio’s cologne!”

“Followed his cologne?! Can you get any weirder?” Killua huffed at him.

Gon tried to come up with an answer, but was interrupted by the examiner, who was signaling the start of the second phase.

Killua grinned.

And secretly thanked fate for bringing them together for at least just a little bit longer.

Even if they eventually went their separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I hope y'all enjoyed some internal conflicts!  
> Hopefully I don't take so long with the next chapter...  
> Thank you for being so patient with me and I hope you continue to enjoy this fanfic!  
> UPDATE!  
> Here is the art for that accompanies this chapter! please enjoy!  
> https://shimmy-sham-with-the-fam.tumblr.com/post/158955298220/hunting-x-for-x-bruises-chapter-11

**Author's Note:**

> I have been posting this on Tumblr up till now, so if you haven't seen it there, I'd ask that you also check my blog out! :) (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/shimmy-sham-with-the-fam) It was originally an art blog, but now I just kinda post any sort of thoughts or creations of mine. It's all Hunter X Hunter as of right now, so you might enjoy it!


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